Großdeutschland Boards and Cuff

[NickG]

Why are Unteroffizier cyphers (like these GD or numerals or LAH etc...) always embroidered like "soldat" ones...?

Is it because their status is no yet fully NCO?

On that lengthy uniform thread this came up and we had some "back and forth exchanges" on the Unteroffizier rank...
So is it just a senior corporal rank in the Heer?
or the lowest rank of an NCO? "Unteroffiziere" class...and if the latter,
why embroidered cyphers in "soldat" quality ? and not metal cyphers like what NCO's wear ?

[longislandercjv]

Why are Unteroffizier cyphers (like these GD or numerals or LAH etc...) always embroidered like "soldat" ones...?

Is it because their status is no yet fully NCO?

On that lengthy uniform thread this came up and we had some "back and forth exchanges" on the Unteroffizier rank...
So is it just a senior corporal rank in the Heer?
or the lowest rank of an NCO? "Unteroffiziere" class...and if the latter,
why embroidered cyphers in "soldat" quality ? and not metal cyphers like what NCO's wear ?

According to well known reference books and the wartime "Riebert series"
"der Dienst Unterricht im Heere", the NCO ranks were divided into 2 groups:
Fahnriche Und Unteroffiziere ohne prtepee (NCO Aspirant & junior NCOs)
for ranks Fanriche, Unterfeldwebel and unteroffizier
and "Unteroffiziere mit portepee" (senior NCOs)
for ranks Feldwebel, Oberfeldwebel & Stabsfeldwebel

The "Junior ranks" wore an embroidered cypher and the "Senior ranks" wore the
cypher in metal.

There are exceptions to every rule and regulation, and it's somewhat common to see the metal cypher (or unit number) on junior ranks, especially "GD".
One might speculate that personnel transferred to the "GD" (especially during their
continued expansion from regiment to Corps).
Scott Prichett would have more specific information about Heer units that were transferred into the GD. There ar many original photos of various "combinations"
of newly transferred personnel into "GD" (some with cuffbands, some without the "GD" cyphers etc.)
IMO it's entirely possigd ble for transferred "GD" persnnel to simply wear the metal
"GD" cyphers on their straps where embroidered "GDs" were regulation.
It all comes down to verified provenance or the "gut instinct" of the collector.

Note to Schulterklappen: those are incredible GD nachubtruppen Uoffiz straps!
I still need ORANGE (GD-feldgendarmerie trupp & GD-Kradschutzen to complete my set. How about you??

[NickG]

Thanks for the explanation! So Unterfeldwebel and Unteroffizier with embroidered cyphers would be the norm...
Yeah it indeed looks like it wasn't exactly strictly adhered two...Note feldwebel (1 pip) with embroidered cypher!
Feldwebel and Oberfeldwebel (RK trager) with both embroidered and metal cyphers as they should have!

[Schulterklappen]

Gd nco

In this case, the NCO just continued to use the embroidery and did not "pick out" the embroidery to replace it with a white metal cypher.

[NickG]

Nice, indeed went from Unteroffizier to feldwebel to oberfeldwebel...adding the base tresse "closing the box"!

[BlaineLeamon87]

Thanks for all the examples being shared everyone! I do love posts like this

[BlaineLeamon87]

I have been busy lately

[NickG]

You "GD" hoarder you! IMPRESSIVE to say the least!

[BlaineLeamon87]

You "GD" hoarder you! IMPRESSIVE to say the least!

Haha thanks Nick! These were my favorite from the latest pick up. Panzer Pink